The Houseboat Chronicles
by FeathersMcStrange
Summary: Garth is pretty sure he didn't sign up for this. A series of stories detailing the lives of Kevin Tran and Garth Fitzgerald aboard the houseboat. Details inside! Gen fic, no pairings, but rated T for swearing, violence, and chapter-specific things that I will post in the author's note. SEND IN YOUR REQUESTS
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is Alison here, bringing you a new set of stories! This one revolves around two characters I am personally very fond of, and find incredibly under appreciated. Now, I'm not entirely how the whole situation is working out in canon, so I'm just going to say now that this is probably at least a little bit of a headcanon as opposed to an acutal fact. **

**Also another thing that may be fuzzy: Kevin's age. I, like you guys probably did, assumed him to be about seventeen or eighteen but no, I looked on supernatural wikipedia and it lists his birth year as 1997, making Kevin fifteen or sixteen years old. This is not impossible, as I have a cousin who graduated high school at fourteen, and so it's entirely plausible for him to have been filling out college applications. You can see it as a tiny bit of an AU if you like, just please don't send me flames over it.**

**IMPORTANT: This is a request story. I have some ideas of my own, but I need you guys' help too. Send in your ideas for The Houseboat Chronicles via PM or review. (So long as it isn't romance or involves Kevin and/or Garth.) Please give me a hand here guys!**

**Best wishes and DFTBA!**

**- Alison**

* * *

Sometimes, Garth Fitzgerald seriously doubted the intelligence behind the selection of Kevin Tran as a Prophet. The kid was jumpy, inexperienced, more than a little damaged by the whole thing, and, possibly the most glaring problem Garth had with it, a _kid_. In his mind there was no rationalising dragging a kid into this life, putting him in danger and cutting him off from his family. He should be worrying about dating and college, not nightmarish creatures trying to brutally slaughter him thanks to some higher power deciding that giving him this job was a good idea.

Even beyond that, though, Garth wondered if he was the right person to be looking out for Kevin. In theory all he was there for was to provide a safe hideout, but he knew better than that. He had seen the look on Dean's face and heard the underlying tone in his voice. The one that said 'take care of him, he's just a teenager'. Kevin had lost everything to this cruel, dangerous new world, and he needed someone to have his back. Someone to watch out for him.

At first when it had struck him that he had basically accidentally signed on to play babysitter to a sixteen year old who almost everyone he came in contact with wanted to kill, Garth had rung Dean in a panic.

The conversation, on Garth's end anyway, had gone somewhere along the lines of 'I don't know what to do with a kid! What does it eat, how often do I have to walk it?'

...or something.

Regardless, he was now left with a kid living in his house and no idea what to do with said kid. Luckily enough, Kevin was actually very self sufficient. He could survive on his own just fine. The boy didn't really need anyone around to do much more than keep him alive.

That made Garth sad, really. Kevin was sixteen. He shouldn't have to know how to survive on his own yet. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

It was with that thought in mind that he found himself out on the deck, staring at the dark gray water pensively, pondering his new live in. The subject of stated pondering was currently dead to the world, asleep after a long day of translating theWord of God. There was apparently endless work for him to do, and the boy never slowed down. In recent days Garth had noted how gaunt he was looking, unhealthily thin with dark circles under his tired eyes.

He sighed and scrubbed a hand across his forehead. When had everything gotten so complicated... (_Probably right around the time you acquired a sixte_en year old, some pare of his mind chimed in.)

Garth was jolted from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps, approaching down the dock. Looking over, hand instinctively reaching inside his jacket for his knife, he cautiously approached the dock facing side of the deck.

As the stranger approached the boat, the light from the full moon caught off his eyes.

Eyes that were a worrisome shade of pitch black.

"What, really?" Garth muttered to himself, reaching cautiously into his inside jacket pocket and withdrawing a flask.

The demon continued to get closer, walking right up to the boat.

"Hey there!" he called out, feigning ignorance at the creature's identity. It was a welcome advantage sometimes that everyone had a habit of underestimating him from the get go.

He wasn't sure how the demon had found them, and rest assured the wards and defences would be renewed and added to as soon as possible, but for now he had to take care of this problem. In all likelihood he was here for Kevin (it wasn't as though demons made a habit of personally searching Garth himself out), and the hunter resolved to deal with it without disturbing the kid. It had literally been days since he'd slept and he needed the rest.

"What do you want?" he said, backing minutely away from the side where the demon stood, seeming to be judging whether or not he wanted to board.

Apparently deciding that the mousey, short man standing there staring at him wasn't much of a threat, the demon stepped right over the side of the boat and straight into the middle of a Devil's Trap. Garth allowed himself a moment to chuckle at the occasional perks of having a non-threatening appearance. He then casually walked over to where the monster was now trapped, eyes like coal, glittering in the starlight, expression one of undiluted fury.

"So, I'll ask again," Garth said, his tone equal parts amused and dangerous. "What do you want?"

"You can't keep him safe forever," the nameless demon hissed, straining at the edge of the Devil's Trap. "We'll get the Prophet eventually, and when we do we'll make him _scream_."

Some unnamed anger rose up on Garth's chest at those words and he snapped out the first exorcism chant that came to mind. Within a minute the unfortunate man who the demon had been possessing – probably having been dead for days already - dropped to the ground, a cloud of black smoke vanishing into the night.

Disposing of the body took longer, and by the time he returned, it was almost dawn, and Garth figured he probably owed Kevin an explanation for all the commotion. However when he stuck his head in to check on the boy, he discovered Kevin Tran, still out cold.

He shook his head in disbelief, folding his arms and grinning. Kid could probably sleep through the Apocalypse and not wake up once.

"Well, maybe it's better you don't know," Garth murmured quietly, smile fading. "You've got enough problems as it is."

With that he left, closing the door quietly behind him and heading back up to the deck.

"Sleep tight, kiddo."


	2. Chapter 2

**Cael Hunter: **Ehehehe, thanks, love.

**BalthazarMyAngel: **Ah, good, I haven't completely forgotten how to write humour. X3

**keacdragon:** Thank you, dear!

**powerofthecrazy:** Yeah, I wish we saw more of him too. I just adore him.

**pisceanchic101: **Yep, that's what the SPN wiki page says. Glad I could give you warm fuzzies and that you appreciate the lack of romance.

**Rainbow27Stardust:** I get what you're saying completely. It seems like whatever archive you go to, it's completely overrun by romance stories. I try and stay away from writing them.

**Casismyfavorite:** I'm glad you thought I did good with that!

**Oh my God you guys, thank you so much for the awesome reception and for giving the Houseboat Chronicles a chance! Send in any requests you have, and I'll do my best!**

* * *

The first time it happened, it was actually kind of a relief. Kevin didn't seem to sleep much, which couldn't be very healthy, so finding him out cold at the kitchen table was less of a 'why on Earth is he sleeping at the table and not in his bed' feeling and more of a 'thank goodness he's finally sleeping I was getting worried' type feeling.

However his relief that the kid was finally displaying normal signs of human life didn't effect Garth's subsequent confusion as to why Kevin had opted to take a nap at the probably considerably uncomfortable table. His bed wasn't much better, but still.

Garth stuck his hands in his pockets and shook his head, not able to resist a smile. In sleep the kid actually looked like a kid. Unconsciousness had a way of painting a sort of innocence across his face, throwing into sharp clarity the disturbing fact that he really was just sixteen. Barely old enough for a driver's license and their world had taken his childhood away.

It reminded Garth of a story he heard once from a friend now long gone. Bobby had told him one time about a pair of little kids he'd met once upon a lifetime ago, who had been thrown into a life they hadn't asked for, definitely didn't deserve, and no one in their right mind would want. And it wasn't like Kevin even had the option to _try_ and leave, get out of the nightmare.

So in the middle of all that chaos and fear, Garth decided Kevin deserved this moment of respite. If he woke the boy up now he would stammer out a tired apology for God only knew what and get back to whatever he'd been doing before he fell asleep. That only left leaving him where he was. Not the most comfortable of sleeping positions, but better than the alternative. It was getting late, though, and the temperature was steadily dropping. The kitchen was already freezing, and it was only going to get colder.

The last thing Garth wanted was to have an ill sixteen year old on his hands. Regular sixteen year olds were complicated enough, thank you very much. So he rifled through the various cabinets until he discovered the one with the extra blankets in it, pulling out an especially warm fleece throw. He crept quietly over to where Kevin sat at the table, face buried in his arms, and draped it over the boy. With careful, gentle movements, Garth tucked the blanket around the kid's shoulders, doing what he could to make him comfortable.

Kevin stirred and made a quiet, content noise, pushing his face further into his hoodie sleeve covered forearms, serving as a makeshift pillow. Garth laughed softly and went up to the deck, looking around for something he could do until he woke up.

The next time was roughly a week or so later. It wasn't uncommon for Garth and Kevin to sometimes go days without seeing each other, despite Garth resolving (after a concerned phonecall from the Winchesters regarding Kevin's health, both mental and physical) to spend more time at the houseboat, and this time the hunter hadn't seen the young prophet in roughly forty eight hours. Therefore it was somewhat of a surprise when he stepped out onto the deck and promptly tripped over Kevin Tran, whose legs were sprawled across the floor near the stairs, the rest of him in a low lawn chair.

"What the..." Garth trailed off, gathering his composure and peering down at the kid. "Are you kidding me?"

Once again Kevin was sound asleep in somewhere other than his bed.

And once again, Garth made the executive decision that waking him up would not be the wisest course of action, and instead covered him in the nearest blanket (the same one as before, a dark gray fuzzy thing) and went back about his business, a fond smile on his lips.

The more it happened, though, the more worried Garth got about it.

He found Kevin in all manner of places (including but not limited to in the kitchen, on the deck, at his desk, _on the floor right next to his bed_), but not once did he find the boy actually asleep in his actual bed at a reasonable hour for a person to be doing such an activity.

Now, Garth was no expert in the field of the sleep habits of average sixteen year old boys, but he was fairly positive that finding Kevin unconscious at odd intervals in odd places was a bad sign of something or other. He couldn't imagine the habit of working yourself until you dropped wherever you happened to be at the moment was very healthy either.

"You can't keep going like this," Garth said, the day after finding Kevin passed out literally a foot and a half away from his bed.

"Hm?" The boy looked up distractedly from the pile of papers he was practically drowning in.

"You're killing yourself, Kev."

That got him a confused, worried frown. Garth sighed and elaborated.

"The whole 'I'm a Word of God translating robot who only stops and rests when my battery runs out' routine. It's going to end up killing you if you aren't careful, and I don't want that to happen."

Kevin shook his head and huffed under his breath.

"That would throw a wrench in the plan to close Hell, wouldn't it? Doesn't matter. I'm fine."

So this was going to be harder than he thought.

"That's not what I meant. Yes, we need Hell closed. No, that is not the only reason we're having this conversation. Come on, kid, I'm worried about _you_. What you're doing, the way this is going... It isn't healthy. I'm concerned about what's going to happen to you if one day you take it to far and end up dead." Taking advantage of the stunned silence, Garth pulled at Kevin's arm, getting him to stand, and then gently pushed him towards his bed, giving him a pointed look.

"See this thing? This is where normal people generally do this thing called 'sleeping'. I've heard it's good for you, why don't you try it."

"But the tablet-"

"Can wait until you're not about to pass out on your feet. Get some sleep."

"But-"

"Nope. Whatever you have to say, I'll listen to it after you've slept at least eight hours."

Kevin gave up, sighing heavily and collapsing on the bed. Garth nodded, satisfied. He was getting the hang of this...

Then he left, picking up the comics section of the newspaper, mentally congratulating himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**keacdragon: **Thanks, love!

**Rainbow27Stardust:** Wow. Yeah. That's... Wow. You definitely have a very good point there.

**averagehikari:** I will definitely do this!

**BalthazarMyAngel:** Go right ahead! I like that nickname. Fall asleep in all the places!

**pisceanchic101:** I passed out next to my bed once. Granted my blanket was on the floor and I didn't want to take the time to stop and actually _make_ my bed. I just wanted to go to sleep.

**Cael Hunter:** He really is, isn't he?

**I feel like there was something I was going to say to you guys here but I don't remember what it was. Oh well. Maybe I'll remember by the time I type up the next chapter.**

**Sorry this one is a bit shorter than the others. I didn't feel like it needed to be any longer. But I did feel like you deserved another chapter of happiness before it takes a turn for the worse.**

**So, in conclusion my lovelies, send in your requests and tell me what you think!**

**Best wishes and DFTBA!**

**- Alison.**

* * *

On the first day the rain had stopped in a week and a half, Garth decided that enough was enough, and going without seeing the sky for a fortnight was not a healthy way to live. After about ten minutes spent wondering how to get the kid into the fresh air, he had an idea.

A grin spread across Garth's face as he hunted through the messy boat until he found what he was looking for.

"Hey Kevin, the sun's out."

"M hm."

That was the only response he got from the teenage profet, who was sitting in that same chair, staring at that same gibberish just as he was most of the time when Garth checked on him. Sighing, the hunter moved more fully into the room.

"It's actually a really nice day..."

"M hm."

"Enough with the 'm hm's. You and I are going to go outside, and you are going to get some sunshine for the first time in a week."

At this Kevin really did look up, both eyebrows shooting up his forehead. He sat there, staring at the object in Garth's hand.

"What is that." His tome was flat and unamused, eyebrows rising impossibly higher.

"It's a baseball. I thought you were in Advanced Placement?" Garth laughed quietly at his own joke and tossed the ball, catching it with the same hand. Kevin made no move to get up and he sighed, shoulders slumping. "Come on. Give me a chance here, Kev. I'm just trying to help you. If you keep this up you're going to have a breakdown. So get out of this room and come outside with me."

With a doubtful expression on his tired face, Kevin finally got up, moving slowly and stiffly out of the room.

Garth's face once more split into a wide smile and he followed the boy up onto the deck.

When the bright, warm sunlight struck his face Kevin flinched, squinting as if the light was painful. He jumped as Garth walked past him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Right. Now. Let's get started. Have you ever played catch before?"

"Um... No..."

"Great. I guess in that case I'll just have to teach you."

The first time Garth threw the ball it thunked off Kevin's shoulder, and he sent the man a wounded look.

"Wow. You're really bad at this. Listen, when I throw the ball, you put your hand up in this-" Here Garth grabbed Kevin's left hand, the one in the glove, and shook it lightly. "-and catch it."

This time Kevin's glare was less irritated, and it didn't look like he was putting much effort into it. He bent down and picked the baseball up off the deck of the boat, tossing it rather pathetically in Garth's general direction. It went about three feet and dropped to the ground, rolling the rest of the way.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually."

"I don't get how this is so complicated. It's simple math, trajectories and-"

"No. Stop right there."

Kevin looked over at Garth, confused.

"This is not a math lesson. This is me teaching you how to play catch. Come here."

Once the boy reached him, Garth picked up the baseball and placed it in his hand. He then put his hand over Kevin's, showing him how to throw the ball so that it might actually go where he wanted it to. The two of them then proceeded to spend the next hour throwing the baseball back and forth across the deck of the boat.

After a bit, Garth noticed the smile on Kevin's face, the carefree way he laughed. For the first time since they'd met, he was actually acting his age.

The ball soared past Garth's shoulder, and in reaching out to catch it he slipped, falling on top of a ten pound bag of rock salt that hadn't been carried inside yet. Kevin took one look at him, flat on his back covered in salt crystals, and burst out laughing, doubling over with mirth. And Garth started laughing too, something warming his chest as he lay there on the deck of the houseboat, covered in salt, playing catch with a genius kid whose life was Hell.

Kevin walked over and flopped down next to him, lacing his fingers behind his head and staring up at the sky.

"I think it says something about me that all I see looking at these clouds is enochian symbols."

"I dunno," Garth replied easily, grinning over at him. "I kinda think that one looks like Mr. Fizzles."


	4. Chapter 4

**Casismyfavorite:** That he is indeed. He needs those moments, poor kid.

**keacdragon:** Thanks, hon!

**BalthazarMyAngel:** Aww, thank you dear! I thought you guys deserved some happiness before what I'm about to do.

**pisceanchic101:** I'll probably use a couple of those ideas, thank you very much for them! And yeah, I had fun writing their light hearted fun.

**Hey guys! Sorry this took a bit, I've been rather busy lately. But here's the next bit! I feel I should put a warning for likely inaccurate medical-ness involved here, as I am merely an _aspiring_ doctor, not an actual MD (yet). Though I did do extensive research on the drugs mentioned, so hopefully it isn't too inaccurate. Which brings me to my next warning. If use of prescription medication without a prescription or cautionary mindset bothers you, please skip this chapter. I don't want to offend anyone.**

**With that said, enjoy, review, and send me ideas/requests!**

* * *

Garth was actually out when it happened, helping another hunter with a job. It was the farthest away he had gone since Dean had voiced his concern for Kevin's health, on his own all the time on that boat. It was only twenty minutes from the dock and he figured that the boy would be okay by himself for a while.

But then his phone rang. Garth held up a hand to the hunter – Christina Wilson – and answered it, apprehension gnawing at him.

"_G... Um, Garth?"_

He recognised the stuttering, wavering voice instantly.

"Kevin! What happened? Are you okay?"

"_I don't... I don't know. Um... I d... Took the... And he... He said... But I can't... I don't know it's really cold in here what happened, Garth, I don't know what happened, Garth I'm scared."_

By now all colour had drained from the hunter's face and his knuckles had gone white clutching the phone.

"Keep calm. Can you do that, Kevin? I need you to stay calm. Now, pick up the package and tell me what you took."

He waved an impatient hand at Christina, who had been on her computer researching their hunt. _Google this_, he mouthed at her. She nodded, opening a new window.

"_Um... It s... I think it's something like oxbone or ozone, I don't know, it starts with an o and all the other letters are dancing so I don't know what it says and it's like ox something but I can't..."_

"Oxycodone?" Garth asked, the apprehension growing with every passing second.

"_Oh. Yeah. Right. That."_

Christina had entered the name of the drug and searched it, while Garth continued to press the phone to his ear.

"Is that it? Kevin, how much did you take?"

"_I wanted... I just wanted it to stop because it hurt and it wouldn't stop and please I just wanted it to stop it hurts please I can't make it st... I can't make it stop... It won't stop... Boot? Bruise..."_

"What?"

"_The other thing..."_

"You took something else? What was it?"

_"Um... Garth the letters are dancing again..."_

"Try and spell it out for me."

"_B... B, u, d, e, b... No, that's a p not a b... R... I... O, n."_

"Budeprion?"

_"Hm... M... Yeah... Yeah I think that's it that's probably it that's what it says."_

Garth looked to Christina, about to tell her to search for interactions and overdose information (the words 'I just wanted it to stop' and 'it hurts' still ringing too loud in his ears), but she was already on it. While she searched the internet for answers, the hunter kept talking into the phone in the calmest voice he could muster, trying to keep the hysterical kid on the other end calm.

As Kevin babbled in a way that lapsed into unintelligible gibberish far more often than he was comfortable with, Garth made a mental list of the boy's symptoms, at least the ones he could detect over the phone.

Confusion. Quick speech. Fast, shallow breathing.

"_I didn't mean to, I mean I think I didn't... I just wanted it to stop because it hurt and it wouldn't stop and I'm scared."_

"I know you are," Garth said as reassuringly as he could. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay. Just hang on, I'll be right there. Alright? ...Kevin? Kevin. Kevin!"

But there was no response, save for the loud clatter as the phone was dropped to the floor. A much louder thump followed, and Garth's eyes widened.

"KEVIN!"

Still no answer.

"Side effects of oxycodone and budeprion include," Christina read off, "increased suicidal tendencies in those under twenty five, breathing problems, quick or uneven heart rate, fainting, fever, confusion, quick speech, apnea, dizziness... I think those are just possibilities, but it says if you combine them you could have seizures. Is he answering you?"

"No, he's not." Garth was already sliding his jacket on, fumbling in his pocket for his keys.

"Then he could be having a seizure. I can call Geoffrey to deal with this. Go, take care of your kid."

He didn't stop to correct her assumption, just ran out the door and to his car, starting the engine and flooring the gas. The twenty minute long ride took exactly twelve minutes and thirty nine seconds, and upon reaching the dock Garth wasted no time running as fast as he could onto the boat and into the interior, skidding to a halt when he almost stumbled over the prone form of Kevin Tran, lying still on the floor.

For a second, Garth froze. The boy looked... He forced himself to think the word with a heavy heart. The boy looked dead. Just then, though, Kevin groaned almost inaudibly and turned his head a fraction. Garth leapt into motion abruptly, kneeling beside the teen.

"Kevin? Kevin, can you hear me?"

"G.. Mmnnn... Garth?" Kevin mumbled, barely open eyes peering upwards.

Relief rushed through him. So, at least he still had enough coherency to recognise faces.

"I need you to stay awake. Come on, I don't care what you do, recite the encyclopaedia, tell me who your favourite Harry Potter character was, whatever, just stay awake." Garth then sat on the floor beside him and lifted the boy into a sitting position, letting his own upper body be used to keep Kevin upright. "There you go. Just stay awake. Please kid."

They couldn't take him to the hospital. That demon had found them not too long ago, God only knew how many others could find out where they were. He couldn't take Kevin off the boat. So all he could really do was sit there with the kid, making sure he didn't stop breathing.

It was a long night, during which Garth would periodically shake Kevin to be sure he was awake, talking to him nonstop in a kind, gentle tone. If there was one thing this boy sorely needed, it was someone to take care of him for a while. And, well, seeing as there was nobody else around, Garth was willing to step up. The kid was just that. A kid. He shouldn't have even been able to accidentally overdose on heavy painkillers and antidepressants. Stuff like that wasn't supposed to happen.

About six hours after he got to the boat, Garth decided that it was safe to let Kevin sleep, as the young Prophet was clearly very tired. As soon as his eyes closed, the hunter pulled out his cell phone, dialling Dean Winchester's number.

He had some explaining to do.


	5. Chapter 5

**keacdragon:** Uh oh indeed.

**pisceanchic101:** Drama is fun. Here you are!

**BalthazarMyAngel:** Training? What do you mean by that? And yeah, it was pretty sad. Kevin's whole situation is pretty sad.

**Hey guys! This one is a continuation of the last one. I hope they do address Dean giving Kevin the pills on the show, because they kind of made a scene of him giving them to him, but then never mentioned them again. Anyway, please leave a review to tell me what you think/request a story!**

* * *

"_What_ the _Hell_ were you _thinking? _You don't just give _dan__gerous prescription medication _to a _teenaged child!_" Garth demanded as soon as Dean answered his phone call. For a second there was just muffled muttering on the other end, but soon enough the man responded.

"_Who is this?"_

"How many teenagers have you given prescription meds to lately? Who do you _think_ it is!"

"_Garth! What's going on? Something happened to Kevin?"_

"You bet your ass something's happened to Kevin!" Garth shook his head, shooting a glance towards the closed door behind which the boy slept fitfully, tossing and turning, a fever ravaging his thin body. "He overdosed on your pills, Dean. He had a seizure while I was on the phone with him. He almost _died_."

"_Oh God."_

"Yeah. But antidepressants? Really? You gave a fragile kid very strong painkillers and antidepressants and then didn't think to at least warn him _not to take them both at once?_ Did you know that oxycodone and budeprion combined can cause seizures?" He knew he was being a bit unfair to Dean. There was no reason he would have known that. But his ignorance was rendered moot when the consequences of stated ignorance almost cost a brilliant, shy, occasionally snarky boy his life.

"_He's Advanced Placement. I expected him to know better than to take them both at once."_

"Well, he did. In case you didn't notice when you were here, he doesn't eat enough, doesn't sleep enough, and barely stops with that tablet, and none of those things help someone make important, possibly life-risking decisions. Besides, like I said, his entire world's been very recently ripped out from under his feet and he's not exactly what I would call stable right now." It was very, _very_ hard to keep from outright yelling at Dean, but even in his state of delirium, the last thing Garth wanted was to wake Kevin up.

"_Is he... I mean, is he alright now? Please tell me he's gonna be okay."_

Garth could hear the worry in Dean's voice. He did genuinely care about this kid, and was seriously concerned for his health and safety. That had been made abundantly clear when he had called Garth shortly after visiting Kevin and asked if he would make staying on the houseboat with him more of a permanent thing. He and Sam were both incredibly fond of the boy, and for a moment the hunter felt just a bit guilty for springing this on him so harshly out of the blue.

"He's going to be alright. I hope so, anyway. I mean, this is bound to leave it's mark on him, and he's pretty sick right now, but I'm pretty sure he'll recover fine." Physically, at least. Psychologically, Garth wasn't so sure. He was going to have to keep a closer eye on Kevin, take better care of him. He was startled out of this musings by Dean's voice, sounding through the tinny speaker again.

"_Well that's... Uh, that's a relief. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know that would happen, alright? I never meant to do something that could hurt him. I care about what happens to him. I wouldn't put him in danger on purpose."_

"I know. And I'm sorry I yelled. I just... That was really, _really_ stupid of you."

"_Yeah, it was. Look, thank you for doing this. You know. Playing foster parent to the kid. I know it was a lot to ask of you, but he just... He needed somebody to be there for him, and me and Sam had Hell to close, so... Thanks for taking care of him."_

"It's not a problem. I don't mind. Really, I don't. He's a great kid. I like having him around."

Truth be told, Garth had gotten quite attached to Kevin, and he was telling the truth when he said he liked having him there. There was a kind of meaning in his life that hunting hadn't brought, and some un-nameable, unfamiliar emotion seemed to bubble up in his chest whenever he managed to coax a smile out of the boy.

"_Well, I guess just keep doing what you're doing. I talked to him the other day and he seemed... I don't know. He seemed happier, almost. It's been good for him, havin' you around. So thanks and... Keep it up, I guess."_

"Will do. Bye, Dean. Say hi to Sam for me."

"_Yep. See ya, Garth."_

The line clicked and went dead. Garth flipped his phone shut and raised his hand, still holding the cell, lightly knocking it against his forehead. He hadn't really planned on accidentally adopting a teenaged genius, but... The way things were now? He wondered what he'd done with all his time before Kevin had been around.

He heard a low, pain filled moan coming from behind the door, and headed inside. For once, Kevin was actually asleep in his actual bed, shifting uncomfortably, young face twisted in a grimace.

Currently, Kevin was talking in his sleep, mumbling about his mum, and Channing, and angels. His dark eyes were closed tightly but every few seconds another tear would make it's way down his cheek. Garth sighed quietly, sitting down on the edge of the small bed beside the unhappy, sick boy.

"Hey, kiddo," he murmured, taking in Kevin's flushed face and the way he huddled beneath the admittedly threadbare blankets. Most of the time it was easy to forget how young he was, but in moments like this it was painfully obvious. "You're pretty sick, huh."

Kevin made a rather pathetic noise and turned towards Garth's voice. The hunter smiled slightly at this, reaching out and laying a hand on the boy's head. This earned him a contented sound and Kevin stilled, the touch apparently calming him. Poor kid was starved of affection. So Garth kept his hand there, moving it slowly over his short, dark hair. He wasn't sure how long he was there, frightening away the teenaged prophet's nightmares.

But it was worth it, he supposed, so long as he was going to be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**SkyHighFan:** I have no idea how old he is, but I guess-timated in his thirties. But it was just an offhand comment Dean made. If it bothers you, just ignore it.

**keacdragon:** Thanks hon!

**Guest:** Ugh, I hope so too. He's been in far too few episodes. Thank you!

**xxBadDreamxx:** It's apparently what I do best, so this should work out nicely. Me too!

**BalthazarMyAngel:** I didn't see anything wrong with it! Haha, yeah. He had cause to get angry.

**pisceanchic101:** I would like to take a moment and thank you for being completely honest with me. I like that in a reader. It's incredibly helpful, and I adore you for it. Thanks so much for being awesome. Also, this is entirely thanks to you and what you pointed out, so yeah, be proud of yourself.

* * *

**Sometimes I get awesome con-crit, and it leads to ideas and then to chapters. So I think we can all thank pisceanchic101 for this. *applause***

**Anyway, this is just one version of how the story could go, alright? Feel free to have a different opinion.**

* * *

When Kevin awoke later on, he found that a blanket had been pulled up and tucked around his shoulders, and Garth was sitting at the table not too far off, going over some paper or other. He remembered very little of what had happened that day, just fuzzy snatches of something here and there. Looking at the calendar, seeing what day it was. The migraine pounding his skull to dust becoming too much, but he couldn't just go to sleep. Remembering the pills. Taking... he didn't remember how many. Then the phone call and a steady, soothing voice telling him everything was going to be okay. The same voice, instructing him to stay awake, please, please just stay awake. And then later, drifting in and out of a hazy, fitful sleep, nightmares of everyone he'd ever cared about, dying again and again in horrid, gruesome fashions, until that voice came back, and a kind hand rested on his head.

Kevin let out a groan and buried his face in his pillow, becoming more and more embarrassed as he remembered ever growing snatches of what had happened.

"Oh, you're awake," Garth said, putting down the papers. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I wish the ground would just open up and swallow me already. I'm sorry about all of... that. I just didn't know what to do and..."

"It's alright. I understand. You don't have to apologise , just... Please never scare me like that again, and we'll consider it even." The hunter got up, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't suppose you could tell me _why_ you felt the urge to down a nearly lethal dose of painkillers."

The boy didn't lift his face from the pillow, voice muffled by the fabric.

"I had a migraine – really bad one – and they were there. I thought it would finally make the pain stop."

Garth nodded, sighing. "From here on out would you please read the dosage? I'm sure it's on there somewhere." Kevin didn't respond vocally, just flashed a thumbs up. "Look, Kev, you have to take better care of yourself. Things like this shouldn't happen. You're just a kid."

"Would you quit saying that?" Kevin objected, voice sharp and annoyed. "I'm not five, you know."

There were a few beats of silence before Garth's reply.

"Sorry. You're right. I guess it's just kind of a little weird to me. I've never met anyone in the life, Winchester backstory aside, younger than... Uh, twenty five. Not since... I mean... Well I suppose I owe you an explanation, don't I. Did anyone ever tell you how I got into hunting in the first place?"

Wondering what on Earth that had to do with the current topic of conversation, Kevin raised his head, giving Garth a confused look.

"No."

"Actually, it was my sister who started first. We were average enough when we were little. Melissa was seven years older than me, and she was always much more serious. Our grandmother raised us, after we lost our mom to cancer. Lymphoma. She and my dad divorced just before she had me, so we never knew him. Anyway, for a while it was me, my grandma, and Melissa. Then she went to college, and got married, and had a son. Cutest little kid I ever saw. And everything was okay for a while.

"But when her son was twelve, my step brother was killed by the ghost of the principal of the school he worked at. Melissa... She was never quite the same after that. Taught herself everything she could about this world and the stuff in it, and dragged Josh, my nephew, along with her. I didn't want anything to do with it, not at first. Melissa kept calling for my help, and I couldn't... I couldn't handle it. She wasn't the same big sister she used to be. So I stopped taking her calls, and I didn't see either her or Josh for, God, for years."

Noticing the far away, sad look in Garth's eyes, Kevin kept quiet.

"She hadn't called me in months, and them my phone rang at like four in the morning. It was Melissa. I answered, but as soon as she asked for my help I... I hung up on her. The... Um, the police showed up at my door the next day." The longer he talked the quieter Garth's voice got, and the darker his tone became. This was a side of him that Kevin had never seen before. This side of Garth was sad, and regretful, and not at all like the lighthearted man he usually shared the houseboat with.

"Melissa had gotten them in too deep, into something they couldn't get out of. She... Um, she died before the paramedics arrived, but Josh... He... He hung on until I got there. God, I hadn't seen him in so long, but... Anyway. Uh, yeah. He was your age. When he died. So I suppose I just... I look at you sometimes and I see Josh, and I could have saved him and I didn't, so, I don't know... I guess I'm trying to make sure you get to be as much of a kid while you can, and... I don't know. Sorry if I offended you."

After that, Kevin didn't really know what to say. Really though, what could you say after someone told you something like that? So he just heaved himself into a sitting position and folded his hands in his lap. Confession for confession, he supposed.

"Channing's birthday."

"Hm?" Garth asked, shaking himself, the haunted expression vanishing.

"Today. Or is it yesterday now? Anyway, I looked at my phone and it was Channing's birthday, and on top of everything else, the migraine and not sleeping, and this stupid tablet... I kind of lost it I guess."

Garth nodded, keeping quiet. He got up and moved slowly around the room, tidying up the stacks of papers and various other odds and ends lying haphazardly in places they shouldn't be. There was an easy silence between them, until Kevin, fiddling with the edge of the blanket between his long, cellist's fingers, spoke up again.

"I'm never getting out, am I."

"What do you mean?" Garth asked.

"You know. 'The life.' I'm not getting out of it when I finish with the tablet. No one gets out, do they? Once you're here, you're here for good. So I'm kind of stuck, aren't I? I've been telling myself all along that as soon as I finish with this, my life can go back to normal. But... Normal's not really an option anymore, is it?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry," was all Garth could say.


	7. Chapter 7

**pisceanchic101: **Well I, for one, appreciate the honesty! I think that was my favourite too. Thank you so much for the lovely compliments!

**BalthazarMyAngel:** Why thank you! I agree. You can never get out.

**keacdragon:** Thanks!

**Cael Hunter:** D'aawwww, honey. I realise this, yes. Ooops.

**Riley-Hell's-Princess:** Hello there and thank you for the review! Hope you continue to like it!

* * *

**Go Alison! You can write the thing!**

**- from my notebook all this month.**

**The only thing in my notebook all this month, really.**

**So yeah, this was really late. *ducks behind shield* T'was a month of self discovery and hardship and coming to grips with shit. So... M hm. There's your explanation, though I fear it isn't a very good one.**

**Regardless.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Leave a review to tell me what you think or give me an idea!**

* * *

It was a full three days before Kevin began to get worried. Whenever Garth left, he made sure to tell Kevin where he was going and when he'd be back. He was never gone for longer than a day or two, and always made sure to call if he was even going to be late for dinner. This time though, there was nothing. No phone call, no email, nothing. He'd gone to help a rookie hunter with a rogue wendigo hunt, one that looked to be incredibly easy. He was supposed to have been back already, but there was no sign of him.

Kevin didn't really realise that something was wrong until he suddenly realised that he had eaten exactly one apple and a bowl of cereal in seventy two hours, and the last time he'd had real food (or what passes for it) was when Garth made them noodles from a box. (He actually managed not to burn anything this time. Kevin was impressed.

At first he had dismissed it, and refocused his attention on the tablet. He had almost got this bit finished, and wanted to complete the portion before he passed out to catch up on a couple hours' sleep. He was actually amazed that Garth had let him out of his sight after what happened with the pills, but after a lengthy talk that included such topics as the dangers of prescription medication, and the phrase 'I don't want to lose you', Kevin felt sufficiently chastised, and convinced his guardian that he wouldn't chance it again. Still, there remained the fact that it had been three days, and Garth still hadn't called.

Working on the tablet was becoming harder, as he kept getting distracted by the dark, message-less screen of his mobile phone, Eventually, he gave in, picked the device up, and dialled Garth's number. It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

No one answered.

"_Hi, you've reached Garth Fitzgerald IV's personal line. If you need help with a hunt, call my other phone. If your name is Dean or Sam, leave a message. If your name is Kevin, I put leftovers in the fridge, please eat something." *BEEP*_

"Hey. It's me. Uh, Kevin. I was just, um, just wondering when you were gonna be home, so... I dunno. Give me a call, let me know you're okay. Uh, bye, I guess."

Kevin closed the phone and stared at it. So there was definitely something wrong. No matter what, Garth _always_ answered his phone, especially if he saw it was him calling. As the day dragged on and there was still no word, he became increasingly more worried. The door didn't open. The phone didn't ring. By the time the sun set, he had skated right past worried and hit afraid. So he once again reached for his mobile and dialled Dean Winchester's number, which was taped to the fridge along with the numbers of couple of Garth's friends who lived nearby, a takeout place or two, poison control, and, amusingly enough nine one one.

This time the line was picked up before the end of the second ring.

"_Hey, Kevin, have you figured out the next thing yet?"_

"No, sorry, not yet. Have you... uh, have you heard from Garth recently?"

"_Nope. Not this week. Why, is everything okay?"_

Kevin pushed his hand through his hair, which probably needed a cut by now. "No. It's not. He left to help on a hunt and I haven't heard from him in three days. I'm really starting to freak out here. I tried calling him and he didn't pick up, but he always calls if he's going to be late, I-"

"_Okay. Calm down. It's all gonna be fine. Look, kid, tell me where he went, and Sam and I will go look for him, okay? We'll find him. I'm sure his phone just died or something. Don't worry."_

The young prophet took a deep breath and tried to do as Dean instructed, tried to remain calm and objective. "Alright. Okay." He gave the hunter the location Garth had told him, and then hung up. He continued to stare down at the screen, the background of which was a photo of him, his mum, and Channing, back before any of this was even a thought in his mind. His eyes tracked over the picture, then across to the couple of photographs set on the small nightstand beside his bed. There were a couple of his mother, a few of Channing, and he was in most of them as well. And then there was the one propped against the lamp, without a frame. Dean had taken it when he'd been there last. It was of him and Garth. He was trying to concentrate on what he was doing, sitting on the couch and staring at a sheaf of papers, but Garth had dropped down next to him and turned off one of those terrible shows he liked to watch so much, the crappy cop dramas, slung an arm around him, and told him to lighten up a bit. Dean had caught them like that, Garth grinning widely with his arm around Kevin's shoulders, the boy looking up at him with a half annoyed, half amused expression.

It suddenly struck him that in his time there, he had become rather fond of the quirky, unusually happy hunter he'd been stuck with as a protector. Garth was a good man, and had done his best to do right by Kevin. And now he might be gone.

For good.

The search went on for two more days. Both of the Winchester brothers checked in with him frequently, but the news was the same every time. No news. Sorry, they hadn't found him. No, no idea where he was. Yes, they would keep looking. It was around nine on the fifth day of Garth's absence when his phone rang, Dean's name displayed on the dimly lit screen.

"Did you find him?" Kevin demanded the moment he answered.

"_Yeah, we've got him."_

With that, Kevin dropped into his chair, closing his eyes and breathing in for what felt like the first time in days.

"Is he okay? Is he hurt? What happened?"

"_Slow down! He's fine, just a little banged up. The wendigo got the drop on him, but he got away. He got lost in the woods, like really lost, and his phone got broken. We're bringing him home now. He's just fine, so you can stop worrying now."_

This time when he closed the phone, the tightness in his chest had loosened, and relief was surging through him like a tidal wave. He was okay. He was alive, and he wasn't badly hurt. All that worrying had been for nothing.

A flask of holy water and a couple packets of salt in his pockets just in case, Kevin went out onto the deck, standing there in the cold without a jacket on, staring at the path down to the dock. Sure enough, not even half an hour later, three figures came down the road. One was several inches shorter than the other two and lankier, a worn trucker cap perched on his head. As soon as he reached the boat, Kevin took off, racing over and throwing his arms around the man's shoulders, hiding his face in his shirt.

"Don't ever do that again," he fairly shouted, shaking slightly. Garth laughed quietly, returning the hug just as tightly.

"Sorry. Next time I'll be sure to tell the wendigo he can't eat me because the Prophet of the Lord says so."

"Not funny."

Garth shook his head, sending a look at Dean and Sam over Kevin's hair. Dean was stifling laughter and Sam shrugged in a 'can't help you, sorry' sort of motion.

"You're right. It wasn't."

Embarrassed by his childish outburst, Kevin pulled away and stood back, shifting from foot to foot.

"Um... Sorry. I just..."

"Yeah. I know. Here, I'll make you a deal. I'll try not to scare you again if you promise me the same thing," Garth offered, holding out a hand and raising an eyebrow. Kevin gave him a small smile and shook his hand, then followed him back towards the interior of the boat. Looking back, he saw Sam and Dean, about to turn and leave.

'Thanks' he mouthed at them. Dean flashed him a thumbs up. Then Kevin turned and went inside.


	8. Chapter 8

**Prof. XAndPunky: **I'm alive! Sorry I disappeared for so long!

**Cael Hunter:** That was the actual best description though.

**Riley-Hell's-Princess:** Haha! Me too!

**pisceanchic101:** Thanks hon!

**casismyfavorite: **laksdjflkajsdfkl thanks for the reviews, honey! I love your reviews, they always make my day!

**So looks like this is going to be the second to last chapter, guys! I have a couple other ideas involving one or both of these two, but I'll probably just work on those later and post them as oneshots or something. Regardless, it's been a fun ride, and I thank you for sticking with me this long.**

**The last chapter should be up by next week. Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think!**

**As a note: This is sort of operating under the impression that the whole thing with Crowley and the broken windows and Kevin disappearing has either happened already and has blown over, or never happened at all. Either way, it's not really an issue. Anyway, so this is based off that one scene we got with Dean on the boat where Kevin basically eats his dinner in the closet and is a sad panda the whole time. Remember that? Well, it gave me this idea.**

**I actually used to do this when I got scared or lonely or just wanted to go somewhere peaceful and nice. Then I moved into a room with no closet so I couldn't anymore.**

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The only sound Garth heard was the soft lap of wavelets as they rippled and crested against the sides of the boat, and the quiet creak of timbers, warping and twisting in the cold. That wasn't unusual. Of all the things that could be said about Kevin Tran, he was definitely not a noisy house guest. As the boy's health, mental and physical, deteriorated and he got more and more scattered, the translating of the tablet had slowed down considerably. It was by no means an easy task, and the part he was currently working on had brought progress practically to a standstill. He'd been stuck on the same line for two days now, and it was incredibly frustrating.

For one and a half of those days, Garth had been out, as he had promised Dean he would check on some girl named Krissy. He hadn't liked leaving Kevin on his own, especially since every time he did that the boy seemed to almost die, but taking him off the boat was too dangerous and besides, he had work to do.

Garth walked carefully inside, locking the door behind him and peering around at the gloomy interior of the houseboat.

"Kevin," he called cautiously, not sure if the kid was sleeping, or working with his headphones on, or... Garth didn't let that thought complete itself, instead busying himself by searching for the wayward prophet. "Are you alright?"

No response.

Walking from one end of the boat to the other, he couldn't find Kevin anywhere. He looked in every corner (sometimes he liked to tuck himself away into small spaces, something about feeling safe there, Garth guessed) and everywhere a short, skinny seventeen year old could possibly be hiding.

Just as he was about to give up and ring the Winchester boys and start a search party, he heard a noise from the one place on the boat he had apparently forgotten to check. Garth shook his head and opened the door to the closet. His chest constricted when he saw Kevin, pressed as far back as he could get, knees pulled to his chest and dark, tired eyes half closed.

"Hey. Kevin," he said gently, reaching out to touch the boy's arm. Kevin jerked his head up and stared wildly around, pulled out of his zombie-like stupor by the contact.

"What? I... Uh, and then... B... What?"

Smiling at him kindly, Garth crouched down in the closet doorway. "I just got home. Kev, why are you hiding in the closet?"

"Finished... I finished the line I was working on, that one that was giving me trouble, and I thought I heard something. It sounded like something was trying to get in. And you weren't here and I didn't know what to do, so I... I hid." Kevin made no move to get up and leave. He felt safe there. It was enclosed, and warmer than anywhere else, and he felt _safe_.

Some part of him knew it was just his addled, medicated, sleep deprived mind trying to con the rest of him into believing he was safe there, that whatever went 'bump' in the dark could find him there just as well as anywhere, but he didn't care. He was tired, and cold, and sad, and lonely. This dark, dusty closet was the closest thing he had to safe hideout, and he was going to stay there until the awful icy feeling in his chest went away.

"Kevin..." Garth sighed. The look he got in response to that was enough to break the hunter's heart. He didn't like what this whole ordeal was doing to anyone involved in it. Sam was coming apart at the seams, not being able to do anything to help his brother was keeping Dean angry and on edge, and when this entire thing was over and done with, Garth doubted Kevin was ever going to be truly okay again. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were dead and hopeless. Barely any trace of the brilliant, serious, lively boy Dean had sent to him remained. An exhausted, sick shell of a genius with a once-bright future sat day after day at a desk, staring at the same words and trying to make sense of them.

Garth's constant please of 'just take a break and do something _fun_, don't let the light in your eyes go out yet kiddo I'm begging you' fell on deaf ears. He dragged Kevin away from the paper hurricane and that damned tablet as often as he could, but he didn't know how much good he was doing. He was only one person, one person with a lot of responsibilities, and he was afraid for this boy, who he had, during his time spent looking after him, to love dearly.

He was scared that whatever he was doing was not enough to keep Kevin from spending the rest of his life hiding in closets with dark circles under his eyes, wondering of that day would be his last. Garth turned away from the small, dark room, seeing Kevin curl back in on himself like he was expecting to be left alone again. That wasn't the plan, though, and mere moments later Garth returned, carrying one of the novels that Kevin had brought with him, despite never having time to read them.

The hunter folded himself down next to the prophet and with a warm, reassuring smile, opened the book and started to read in a voice that, below the words on the page, kept up a steady stream of 'it's okay, I'm not going to leave you to deal with this alone'.


	9. Chapter 9

**Riley-Hell's-Princess: **Aw, thanks!

**Guest:** Omg hi you actually found it and read it holy crap. I thought there was more potential in him than merely comic relief, so I'm glad you agree!

**pisceanchic101:** aldkfjsd thank you, honey! I'm quite proud of that last chapter, I'm so happy you guys liked it as well.

**powerofthecrazy:** There is never enough Garth. Garth is great. And yes. Kevin needs all of the hugs. Thanks so much for the review, hon!

**So this is the very last chapter of the Houseboat Chronicles. I very much appreciate you guys sticking with me through this. Who knows, maybe I'll write a couple stand alone oneshots with one or both of these two, God knows I love them to bits and pieces. **

**Also, the last bit is open for interpretation. Feel free to draw your own conclusion.**

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It was one of the hardest decisions Garth had ever made. He'd been thinking it over for days, trying to figure out what the best possible solution was, and he had finally found it. Kevin wasn't safe there.

He'd been nearly attacked by demons, overdosed and almost died, gotten sick, fallen off the boat and all but drowned...

Much as he would like to be there every second of the day and make sure that he was alright no matter what, Garth knew that one day he was going to leave to get groceries or help out on a hunt, and when he came back, Kevin would be too far gone. He loved having the boy there with him. Looking after him felt like the most important thing he had ever done, more than hunting, more than researching... This teenage prophet with his worn out, too old for his age eyes, and his slumped, defeated shoulders had walked into his life and made it ten times brighter.

But as much as he truly enjoyed Kevin's presence, Garth knew that he wasn't safe. And, when it came right down to it, Kevin's safety was more important than anything else. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let something happen to the boy. He couldn't bear the thought.

So Garth did the only thing he possibly could, given the circumstances.

He called Dean Winchester.

The Men Of Letters bunker, or the Batcave as Dean had dubbed it, was the safest place he could think of. It was incredibly well protected, little known, and had both of the Winchester brothers living in it. Kevin should be able to live and work without the constant fear of imminent death looming over him. He was too young to have to deal with all of this.

God, but weren't they all.

_"Hey Garth."_

"Dean."

_"You sound weird, is something up?"_

"No, I just, uh..." Garth laughed. It was a short, dry, humourless sound. "I need you to take Kevin."

_"What, you goin' out of town for a couple days or something?"_

"I don't mean just for a couple of days, Dean, I mean you need to take him for good."

_"Why, what's happened?"_

"What hasn't happened?" It was getting more and more difficult to force the words out. "Look, I know you two have a lot on your plate, but we owe this to him. We owe it to that kid to make sure he's as safe as he possibly can be, and I can't give him that. I can't give him the kind of at least a tiny bit stable, safe home he needs right now. So you need to take him. Because if you don't I think he might die."

_"A-alright... Are you sure? It sounded like you two were really gettin' on good."_

"It's what's best for him. I have to do what's best for him."

_"Yeah, I can understand that."_

A date was agreed upon, and Garth hung up the phone, a hollow ache already settling in the pit of his stomach.

The worst part was telling Kevin.

Maybe it was selfish of him, but Garth didn't tell him until the day he had arranged for the Winchesters to come and get him.

He hesitated before shaking Kevin awake. The boy was sleeping on a chair on the deck again, head tipped back and weak, watery noon sunlight accentuating the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Kev, wake up," Garth said softly, choking the words past the lump in his throat. "I need to talk to you."

"Mmmmnnnhhh..." Kevin groaned, blinking his eyes open slowly and peering up at him. "Wha?"

"Uh, Dean and Sam are going to be here soon to, um... To get you. You're gonna be staying with... Staying with them now, okay? I've packed your things, and they'll be here soon, so..."

Now Kevin was fully awake. He got to his feet as quickly as his tired limbs would allow, looking up at Garth with a confused, alarmed look on his face.

"What? Why? Can't I stay here?" he asked, voice climbing up an octave. "What's wrong with staying here?"

"It's not safe. Believe me, there's nothing I would like more than for you to be able to stay, but if it means you getting hurt there's no way I'm letting that happen," Garth told him in a quiet, sad voice. He met the boy's eyes steadily, noting the disbelief and hint of betrayal in them. "It's not because I don't want you here. That's the last thing it is, Kevin, I just... I need to know that you're safe. And I can't keep you safe here."

As if summoned by the sound of Garth trying to force out a goodbye to the teenager who had come to mean so much to him, the rumble of the Impala's engine sounded from up the road. The hunter glanced up and swallowed hard. He had barely looked back towards Kevin when he felt seventeen years of advanced placement genius throw his too-skinny arms around his waist.

Garth laughed a laugh as watery as the sunlight was and returned the embrace, holding as tightly as he could, trying to memorise this feeling.

"You're gonna come visit, right? You have to come visit. Please say you will."

"'f course. Often 's I can. I-" The words caught in Garth's throat. There was so much he wanted to say, but the three words that he wanted to say most of all wouldn't come out. So instead, he just forced out 'I'm gonna miss you' and held Kevin tighter.

Finally he let go of the boy and grabbed him by the upper arms, looking him over one last time. "Goodbye Kevin."

Kevin didn't say anything back. From the way his hand, holding the handle of his suitcase, trembled, and the unnaturally bright shine of his eyes Garth guessed that he couldn't open his mouth, couldn't say anything for fear of losing his composure. The hunter watched the black Chevy drive off, a sense of loss hanging over him. When he went back inside, the houseboat seemed cold, quiet, and so, so empty. Waking the next morning it took him six minutes to remember that he wouldn't have to check on Kevin that morning. That he would only need one bowl for breakfast.

Garth kept his word. He visited as often as he could, spending as much time as possible at the Men Of Letters house. But the days were getting darker, and the forces who wished to stop what they were doing were closing in.

About two months later, there was a knock at his door. One look at the expression on Dean's face was enough to tell Garth exactly what had happened.


End file.
